Cranksgiving Columbus Food Drive powered by bikes

Cranksgiving Columbus returns to Combustion Brewing on Saturday, November 7, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. It's a food drive that works exactly like its name suggests: you ride your bike to a series of shops, pick up donations along the way, and bring them back to the start. This year's haul goes to the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center Food Pantry.

If you've never done a Cranksgiving, the format is pretty straightforward. Anyone with a bike can join in, and the route takes you from one shop to another to gather items that are then donated to a local food pantry. It's as much about the riding as it is about the giving, and it's designed to show off cycling as a way to get around the city. The suggested stores and the food pantry are all reachable via neighborhood streets and the Olentangy Trail, so you don't need to be a pro cyclist to take part.

Once everyone returns to Combustion Brewing, the morning winds down with post-ride socializing and raffles. There's also a prize for the person who hauls the most donations by weight on their bike, which adds a bit of a friendly competition to the whole thing—the more you can carry, the better you're doing for the pantry.

It's free to join, though you'll need to RSVP first. The ride starts and finishes at Combustion Brewing in Columbus, and it runs from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Saturday, November 7.